The following is the transcript of the interview with David Becker, CBS News election law contributor and the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Nov. 1, 2026.
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that → follow → Nov.
And we're joined now by our CBS News election law contributor and the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, David Becker.
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we → join → Innovation
So each state- they have their own systems, their own timeline for poll closings--
CBS NEWS ELECTION LAW CONTRIBUTOR DAVID BECKER: Right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --and for vote counting.
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they → have → counting
Some places, early votes already in, but when will we know results?
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we → know → results
Well, we're going to know results, not because of the factor of how fast states are counting- look, the election officials in every county in every state are going to be working all night long trying to get the ballots reported out.
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ballots → go → state
The biggest variable is how close the elections are, because when you talk to someone like Anthony Salvanto, who will tell you if it's really close, they just need more ballots in before they can make a call to say for sure the person in second place can't come in- can't win the race.
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person → talk → race
So, in a lot of states where we haven't seen close elections before, we're going to see close elections in all likelihood, and it might take days.
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it → see → days
A day like- a state like Alaska in particular, where they're already well behind Eastern Time, they've got very remote voting all over the place.
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they → get → place
They're going to bring ballots in from all over the place to count them.
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They → go → them
And everything that's going on in the election offices all over the country is under observation.
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that → go → observation
There are Republican and Democratic observers at all times watching the ballots counted, watching the mail ballots being opened, et cetera.
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ballots → be → cetera
So people should know there's nothing going on.
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people → know → ?
It might take a few days.
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It → take → days
: Usually people who are appointed by the parties, either the Democratic or Republican Party, representing candidates in many times or campaigns.
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who → appoint → times
So the parties are well represented.
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parties → represent → ?
They're seeing everything that's going on, and as soon as the results come in and we see them, they're aware of them.
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they → see → them
Let's talk about Alaska.
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's → let → Alaska
It is ranked choice voting.
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It → rank → ?
This morning on CNN, Republican Dan Sullivan, the incumbent senator, said he will accept the results of the election if he loses.
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he → say → election
As we discussed on this program last Sunday with Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Justice Department is seeking to stop certification of a possible Democratic win due to ballot confusion with what the New York Times has reported is this Democratic scheme to stack the ballot in accusing- in a confusing way to disadvantage the senator.
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Times → discuss → senator
Yesterday, just to update everyone, Alaska's Republican-led state government urged a federal judge to dismiss--
: That's right.
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That → update → judge
MARGARET BRENNAN: --the lawsuit that the DOJ filed.
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DOJ → file → that
They said it was meritless.
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it → say → ?
So, doesn't this need to be settled by a federal judge before election day?
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this → need → day
It really does, and I mean, it'd be nice if a federal judge dismisses the DOJ's lawsuit, as so many courts have across the country in these last-minute lawsuits that have been brought seemingly, mainly to create an impression of chaos.
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that → do → chaos
They're failing, but in Alaska in particular, it would be nice if we got a federal court ruling.
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we → fail → ruling
We might get one, but Alaska's courts have ruled on this, including their Supreme Court.
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courts → get → Court
They ruled that both Dan Sullivans can be on the ballot.
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Sullivans → rule → ballot
We've shown-
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We → shown- → ?
You've shown the ballot before.
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You → show → ballot
It's pretty clear that the Alaska Division of Elections, run by the Lieutenant Governor- Governor, there, a Republican, has done a really good job of making it as- as unconfusing as it can be.
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it → run → job
And with that ranked choice voting, if- even if someone still wasn't sure and they ranked both Dan Sullivan's first and second, by the second round, all of those votes would go to the- to the- whatever candidate got the most, presumably the incumbent senator.
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candidate → rank → most
I'm not surprised Senator Sullivan says he will accept the results.
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he → say → results
Of course, this is Alaska defending its state sovereignty and its right and authority over elections in the state of Alaska, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
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Alaska → defend → Constitution
It's good to see the Republican governor and Republican lieutenant governor there in Alaska defending their sovereignty as strongly as they are.
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they → see → sovereignty
But even Democrats, as I've said before, have said this does look bad.
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this → say → ?
This looks like dirty pool.
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This → look → pool
Looks like they're playing dirty.
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they → look → dirty
Both parties do this.
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parties → do → this
It shouldn't happen.
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It → happen → ?
…and 22 more, not listed.
The Aporia
